silyee



'sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

s. N. SILVER.

VBLOGIPBDB.

Patented Feb. 12, 1884.

IIIIIIIIII I I I Frm IIIIIHIII I l I I I 5 Sheets- Sheet (No Model.)

s. N.V SILVER.

VBLOGIPEDB.

Patented Feb. 12, 1884.

IIIIIIIH Iv I l (No Model.) 5 sheets-sheets.

S.`N. SILVER.

l VE-LOUIPEDE. No. 293.366. l Patented Feb. 1.2, 18184.1

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. s. N. SILVER.

\ VBLOCIPEDE. Nq. 293.366.Y Y Patented Feb.12, 1884.

s w 0 i Attorney (No Model.)

VELOCIPEDB.

No.1293,366. Patented Peb. .12, 1884.

` ilo V uNlTEDF Terres. y artnr irren.

`Sl?EGIFICly/ IOLT` forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,366, datedFebruary 12, 1884. Application filed February 8, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.- j

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. SILVER, of Auburn, in the county ofndroscoggin and State of Maine, h'ave invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Velocipedes; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make andusethe same. y

vide mechanism for increasing and decreasing the propelling-power andvarying the speed of the machine at the will of the rider. i' A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a velocipede with mechanismwhereby power may be applied on `both sides of the axle, thus producingboth a pushing and a pulling action to revolve the axle andpropel themachine.

A further obj ect of the invention is to combine with the mechanism forrevolving the axle devices for securing a rowing movement in thepropulsion of the machine, adapting the latter to be operated both bythe hands and feet of the rider orriders.l

With these ends in view the invention consists in the combination, withsuitable guides, of an adjustable block connected to the axle andprovided with devices for sliding said block within its guides.

The invention further consists in the comliination, with an axle.provided with a drum loosely mounted thereon, of a movable blocksuitably supported between guides, a band or other iiexible connectionbetween said drum and block, and spring mechanism arranged relative tosaid drum and adapted to wind said AVO band thereon.

The invention further consists in the features of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of a three-wheeledvclocipede constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2represents a side view of same. Fig. 3 is a detached view oftheadj'usrableblock and its supporting-guides and adjusting devices. Figs.

4, 5,and'6 representparts detached. Fig. 7; isla plan view` of afour-wheeled velocipede Fig. 8 is a side elevation of Fig. 7.

i cation of my improvement.

having my improvements applied thereto.

Fig. 9

represents a detachedview of the winding drum of Fig. 7 and itsconnections. Fig. 10 represents a side elevation of a further modi- Fig,11 is a rear view, and Fig. l2 aplan view, of the same.

Fig. `113 represents a modification of the devices for adj ustingtheblocks.

My invention relates to improvements in 1 velocipedes, the objectbeing,primarily, to pro- A. represents the frame of the machine,providedon each side, near its rear end, with pendent bearings c a foran axle or propellingshaft, B, and at its forward end with asleevebearing, a', to receive the spindle c of a yoke,

C, .the latter carrying a guide-wheel, D, and

by a collar, b, formed upon the axle, and at the opposite side by aratchetwheeh'b. rigidly secured upon the axle. The drum F, on the sideadjacent to the ratchet-wheel b', 'is provided with a pawl, b2, andspring b3 for holding the'pawlin contact with the wheel b".

Upon one side of the drum F is secured one end of a strap, band, orother ilexible connection, G, the other end of the same being secured tothe ring or loop h of the adjustable block H. Upon the other side of thedrum F is secured one end of a coil-spring, I, the other end of which isattached to the end bar, a2, of the frame.

.l J represents the operating-lever of the machine, fulcrumed on arock-shaft, K, which is pivotally supported in bearings 7c la of theframe. Thelever J consists of two parallel bars, 7' j, which formguides, between which is arranged the Vblock H, the latter havingilanges or lips to retain it between its guides.

J J represent treadles secured upon arms projecting from each side ofthe lower end of the lever J.

L represents an adjusting -screw, passing through the upper end block,j', of the lever, i

IOO

provided` with aerank, l, by means of which the screw is turned toadjust the block H near to or away from the fulcrum of the lever J.

M M represent arms projecting from each side ofthe upper end of thelever J, to receive pivotal pendenthandlesN N. The lower ends of thelatter are connected by rods n tothe ends of thecross-bar d, to controlthe guidewheel D.

O represents a riders seat suitably sup-v ported upon the frame.

, The operation of the machine asmthus constructed is as follows:Thelever J is operated by means of the handles N N and treadles J Jvmachine and lessen the power, the leverage on the axle is decreased byadjusting the block H away from the fulcrum. Thus the machine may beadapted to roads of diiferentkindsincreased power being obtained for arough road and increased speed where the road is smooth and even.

In Figs. 7 8, and 9 is illustrated an application of my improvements toa four-wheeled velocipede adapted to be operated by two riders. In thesethree figures several important modifications of the device illustratedin Fig. l are shown. In this modified con'- structiontwo rotating drumsare employed, and two operating-levers, each carrying two adjustableblocks, and having double connec-A tions with the axle and drum-shaft,operating to both push and pull the latter, thus preventing the reactionof the shaft and carryingwheels and avoiding the strain to which theparts might be liable where only single connections were employed.

At A* represent the drums, arranged one on either side of the center'ofthe axle, the inner' portions, a* at, of said drums carrying theretracting-springs a a, and the outer portions, a an, carrying thebeltsor bands B* B5, said bands being wound on their respective drums.

The inner bands, B* B, are connected to the ends of rigidconnecting-rods C* C4, the opposite ends of the latter being pivotallyconnected to adjustable blocks D4D, arranged above the fulcra of thelevers F1* E". These levers are of the same construction as the leversshown in Fig. 1, already described, to serve as guides for the block,and are-arranged one on each side of the frame A, and t'ulcrumedl inelongated bearings e* e4 of said frame, to permit a sliding movement ofthe levers. The outer bands, B5 B5, connect with `blocks F" Ft,

arranged below the fulcra of the levers E4 Ei. The blocks D* D4 areadjusted by means of4 screws G* G'i passing through the blocks andthrough the top blocks, cl" cli, of the levers, and bearing at theirlower ends against the end blocks of the levers. Each of said screws G4is provided at its upper end with a bevelgear wheel, g4, adapted-to meshwith vertical bevel-gear wheels g5 g5, mounted on a transversecrank-shaft, g, passing through a tube, gi, connecting the levers andcarrying the operating-handles HA1 H, connected with acrossbar of theforward guide-wheels by rods h h4. The ends of the shaft gG areprovidedk with cranks g8. By the construction thus described thedriving-shaft is given both a push and pull at each stroke of thelevers, and the blocks D* D* may be readily adjusted to or from thefulcra of the levers to vary the power and speed at the will of theriders.

Vhen it is desired to operate the machine by two levers adapted to workindependently and alternately, the levers E* may be arrangedhorizontally beneath the axle.

In Figs. 10, l1, and l2 I have shown a modified form of my improvement,which is adapted to be propelled by alternate movements ofthe feet. Inthese ligurcs a backbone, A8, and a pivoted bow-brace, BS, are employed,the former supporting the guide-wheel GS, and the latter being connectedpivotally to bearings 08 upon either side of the axle D8. The backboneAS is secured upon the axle, and supports the riders seat as. On eachside of the backbone is arranged a propelling le'ver or treadle, E8,fulcrumed on a shaft, es, supported in bearings of a depending frame,FS. These levers carry the adjustable blocks Gs Gs and Gr9 G9, to whichare connected the straps H H8 and their connections, these being twostraps for each lever, wound upon each other.,

Fig. 10, upon thev drums I8 IS, secured loosely upon the axle DS, andeach provided with a coil-spring, J8, arranged upon drums, and securedat their outer ends to a cross-bar, K8, below the axle. VThe ends of thestraps H are secured, respectively, .to the blocks Gr8 Gf8 and to rigidconnecting-bars hJ h, the'latter being secured to the remaining blocks,G G.. The

lbackbone Aa carries at its lower end a guidewheel, C8, operated b ahandle M8 arranged adjacent to the` seat of the machine, and supportedupon the backbone by suitable braces,

its lower end withabevelgear wheel, gm, meshing with that ofthe shaftand adapted to ad-i just the blocks when the crank is operated.

In Fig. 13 is illustrated a further modification of the devices foradjusting the blocks for varyingthe leverage upon the axle. In thisdevice the blocks are provided with a rack, o,

having a gear-pinion, om, arranged between them and adapted to beoperated by any preferred means to adj ust the blocks. The blocks andracks are` provided withV grooves to fit within the levers and be guidedtherein.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a velocipede having two or more wheels, the combination, with adriving shaft or axle, of the single operating-lever, consisting ofrigidly-connected parallel bars pivoted on a rocleshaft, and havingtreadles and 'handles at its respective ends, a block connected withsaid shaft or axle, arranged and adapted to slide between said bars, andmeans, as described, for adj Listing said block, substantially as setforth. i

2. In a velocipede, the combination, with the frame thereof, itssupportingwheels, and a driving shaft or axle, of the operating-leverpivoted on a rock-shaft, and consisting of two parallel bars, theadjustable block arranged within said bars, a screw passing through saidbloclr'and rock-shaft and connections, as described, between said blockand shaft, for re volving the latter, substantially as set forth.

3. In a velocipede, the combination, with the frame thereof, thedriving-axle, and a rock shaft having bearings on said frame, of a leverfulcrumed between its ends on said rockshaft, consisting of parallelrods, and having treadles at its lower end and handles at its upper end,the adjustable block fitted between said rods, and the screw working insaid block and the upper cross-piece of .the lever, whereby the block isadjusted, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination, with the axle, of a drum loosely mounted thereon,anhd provided with spring mechanism and a pawl-andratchet device, alever provided with an adjustable block, and a strap or band wound uponsaid drum and connected to said block by a 6. The combination, with theaxle and.

7. The combination, with the axle, of a drum looselybmounted thereon,and provided with spring and pawl-and-ratchet mechanism,

an operating-lever, or lever having adjustable blocks connected withsaid drum `by straps or bands, and having treadles and dependinghandles, the latter being connected with the guide-wheel of the machineby suitable rods, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the axle, of 'an operating lever or leversprovided both with handles and treadles and a band or strap, and springmechanism between said axle and lever, to obtain both a pulling andpushing action to revolve the axle, substantially as set fOlbh; l v

9. The combination, with the main axle, of the separate operating-levershaving two adj ustable blocks fitted thereto and uponscrewthreaded rods,provided at their inner ends with beveled,um gears adapted to mesh withan intermediate beveled gear secured upon the pivotal shaft, and thestraps wound upon the drums upon the said axle, and their ends secured,respectively, to the forward blocks, and the rigid connecting-barssecured to the rear blocks, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with the axle and separate operating-levers, ofvconnections between said axle and levers, whereby both a pulling andpushing action upon the axle is A(SAMUEL NORMAN SILVER.

XVitnesses: i

NATHAN W. Harnais, H. W. Oaxns.

looV

